Invention for Innovation (i4i)

Aim: To accelerate the uptake and use of proven new treatments and devices in the NHS. The programme supports projects from prototype and commercial development until a device or technology is ready for clinical testing.

Funding: Awards vary depending on the project, but officially there is no upper limit (annual budget of £20 million):

feasibility study: up to £100k for one year

applied research project: £150k-£250k for up to three years

commercial viability study: up to £100k and 70% funding for one year

collaborative applied research project: £100k-£300k and 50% funding for three years.

Process: Two-stage process with independent peer review. All short listed projects are invited to give a 10 minute presentation followed by a 50 minute Q&A session. Applicants need to sell the idea 'Dragon's den' style and then demonstrate that the team is fit to carry out the project. The process takes about 3-4 months.

Criteria: Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

strong evidence of clinical or healthcare need with high relevance to the NHS

must be innovative and have potential to generate and exploit intellectual property

must have a clear and accessible route to market and identifiable capacity to develop applications and exploit them

the project team and project plan must be appropriate for the scale and complexity of the project